Palace: NBI probing bogus medical report

The Palace had insisted that a medical document circulating on social media supposedly detailing health issues of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is fake and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is expected to uncover those behind it.

In a Palace press briefing on Friday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro said the spread of false information regarding the President’s health falls within the NBI’s mandate to investigate.

“It should be looked into because talking about the President’s health condition is not a joke,” Castro said, adding that the NBI is capable of identifying those behind the document.

When asked if the Palace had formally requested an investigation, Castro said such a request was unnecessary, as the NBI is authorized to act on the matter even without a directive from the President.

The President was hospitalized on the evening of 21 January after experiencing abdominal “discomfort” that was later diagnosed as diverticulitis.

He spent the night in the hospital and was discharged the next day, returning to work soon after.

Malicious intent

“Even without an order from the President, the NBI is mandated to investigate this matter,” she said.

Castro added that authorities are expected to act promptly, noting that the issue had been raised publicly.

Earlier, the PCO denounced the circulating medical report, calling it fake and malicious, and said that legal options related to the incident are under review.